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HOUSTON, Texas – The City of Houston Police Department will be among more than 260 law enforcement jurisdictions across Texas, and 65 in the Gulf Coast region alone, that will be participating in the “2012 Great Texas Warrant Round-Up.”HPD and the Harris County Constables will join other regional participants in this statewide annual event, which officially begins Saturday, February 25, 2012, to look for individuals with outstanding warrants.

The City of Houston Municipal Courts Department, which for the 6th year is coordinating the efforts in this region, has thousands of active warrants it is seeking to clear. Municipal Courts officials are encouraging defendants to take advantage of the options available to settle outstanding warrants. No amnesty is being offered in conjunction with the Round-Up effort.

“This is a great opportunity to discuss your case with a judge and a prosecutor and learn about the many options available for case resolution before arrests begin February 25th,” said Presiding Judge Barbara E. Hartle.

Once the warrant period begins February 25th, HPD and other law enforcement agencies will aggressively target those persons on the warrant list and arrests can take place at any location, including the defendant’s home, school or workplace. Additionally, a special task force will focus solely on arresting those individuals whose parked vehicles have been documented multiple times at specific locations.

“The License Plate Recognition Program has been in pilot since March 2011 and has proven to be very successful in helping us locate scofflaws,” stated Judge Hartle. “With the assistance of law enforcement, we fully intend to use the entire scope of our resources, and we want to make everyone aware that ignoring your court matter is not an acceptable practice,” she added.

Notices are being mailed to all Houston Municipal Court defendants with active warrants. Citizens with warrants in juris

For more information about warrants or citations visit the website at www.houstontx.gov/courts or contact City’s Helpline at 3-1-1 or 713-837-0311 if outside the City of Houston.

How can I find out if I have warrants?

For Houston Municipal Court warrants, dial Houston’s Helpline at 3-1-1, visit the website at www.houstontx.gov/courts. For information about warrants issued out of the Harris County Justice Courts, visit the Justice Court’s website at www.jp.hctx.net.

What are my options if I find out I do have warrants?

You may pay the fine and court costs, or post a bond and have your case(s) reset for a new court date. You may also seek legal advice from an attorney.

If I come to court to pay, will I be arrested?

No, citizens are encouraged to come in voluntarily to resolve cases during the Warrant Round-Up.

Will there be an amnesty offered to reduce the cost of any of the fines or fees?

Not at this time.

If I want to pay for my warrants, what are my payment options?

Payment options for warrants issued by the City of Houston Municipal Courts are as follows: